Episodes
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The tension between aesthetics and performance in architecture is a critical and complex issue in contemporary design. Architects are increasingly and appropriately being tasked with designing buildings that are not only beautiful but also functional in terms of impacts on owners, occupants, resources, and planetary ecosystems. The contrasting view, one where architecture is principally form-making comes at its peril. As Juhani Pallasmaa cautions, following this path “The world becomes a hedonistic but meaningless visual journey”
Navigating the path between form and function is central to the role of architecture in our society. It is also the backdrop to the daily routine for our guest in this episode. Keith Simon FAIA is both an architect and an enclosure consultant, two roles that move him from one vantage point to the other continually.
As Keith says in this interview Architects could be leading many of the changes society needs now but are not. I think we should all look introspectively and ask “Am I prioritizing the right things?”. This episode is both a tribute to the importance of architecture and an appeal to prioritize the lived experience of homes and buildings over the hedonic sculpture on the cover of the glossy magazine. The themes touched on here will ripple out through the AEC for the rest of our careers. It’s both important and captivating to reflect on them now. Enjoy!
Keith Simon
An expert in building enclosure technology, Keith Simon addresses the critical and often unmet need for ensuring and improving building performance, resilience, and durability by guiding design teams, educating future architects, and facilitating interdisciplinary exchange. Keith is the Vice President of Design Phase Services at Salas O'Brien. He is a Certified Passive House Consultant (CPHC), Legacy LEED AP, Building Enclosure Commissioning Provider (BECxP), and Fellow of the American Institute of Architects (FAIA) with over 20 years’ experience in architectural design and building enclosure consultation. His experience includes peer review, design assistance, durability analysis, construction administration, testing, and forensics of building envelope issues. Keith was the founder of the AIA Austin Building Enclosure Council (BEC: Austin) and currently serves as chair for BEC: Austin and board member for the Passive House Institute US (PHIUS) Alliance Austin Chapter. He also serves as the Vice Chair for the National Institute of Building Sciences (NIBS) Building Enclosure Technology and Environment Council (BETEC) executive committee. Keith has been adjunct faculty at the University of Texas School of Architecture since 2011 teaching Environmental Controls, Building Science, Detailing, and Design Studio.
Team
Hosted by Kristof Irwin
Edited by Nico Mignardi
Produced by M. Walker
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Join Kristof and Corey Squire in this third and final installment of their interview series discussing Corey’s book People Planet Design. In Part 1, they opened the discussion at the logical starting place of the important Why questions. Why design matters to society and Why architecture is the place to address so many important issues we face today. Part 2 addressed How to make good design happen by focusing on often overlooked dimensions of the design process. These include company culture, communication and information flow, and the importance of positive incentives.
Here in Part 3 is where the rubber meets the road in the form of the What question - What types of systems do we actually design? What do we actually do during the design process? This conversation flows across ten different architectural systems that each correspond to a chapter in Corey’s book. The systems covered are (1) Scale; (2) Windows; (3) Air; (4) Roof; (5) Electricity; (6) Structure; (7) Embodied Energy/Carbon; (8) Interior Finishes; (9) User Behavior, and (10) Access/Equity.
Corey Squire
Corey Squire is an architect and nationally recognized expert in sustainable design. Working as both a sustainability leader within architecture practices and a sustainable design consultant through his firm, Dept. of Sustainability, Squire has empowered multiple award-winning design firms to achieve high-performance projects across their portfolios. He lectures nationally on a range of sustainable design related topics and was a lead author of the AIA Framework for Design Excellence, a resource that’s actively redefining excellence in the built environment. Squire is an Associate Principal and Director of Sustainability at Bora Architecture and Interiors in Portland Oregon, where he lives with his Family.
Helena Zambrano, Illustrator
Helena Zambrano is an architect, licensed in the United States and Mexico, with over a decade of national and international experience. She practices with a passion for environmental systems and is a strong advocate for the use of evidence to inform design. Emphasizing the design of daylit spaces, Helena’s work has been recognized with local, national, and international design awards. Her advocacy work includes leading the development of both the COTE Super Spreadsheet and the AIA Common App, two tools that raise the status of sustainability metrics and reframe the way design awards recognize architecture.
People, Planet, Design: A Practical Guide to Realizing Architecture’s Potential
If you were asked to close your eyes and envision where you are happiest, would you picture somewhere inside a building? North Americans are inside buildings for more than 90% of the day. Meanwhile, the indoors are stifling us, sometimes even killing us. Buildings, and the materials that make them up, expose us to materials linked to negative health impacts. The construction and operation of buildings is responsible for 40% of climate-changing carbon emissions.
In the US, the design choices made by the typical architecture firm employee each year can reduce emissions by about 300 times that of an average American. But the promise of sustainable architecture will not be realized if sustainability remains a secondary consideration for architects. What if great design were defined by its ability to cool the planet, heal communities, enhance ecological functioning, and advance justice?
In People, Planet, Design, architect Corey Squire builds the case, provides the data, and lays out the practical tools for a transformative human-centered architecture. This approach integrates beauty and delight with an awareness of how every design choice impacts the community, the planet, and the people who will use the building. Outcome-focused with a deep dive into practical design strategies, the book showcases ten building systems that embody design excellence.
Squire centers the idea that by focusing on the desired outcomes—that buildings shelter us from the elements without disconnecting us from the world, that buildings provide the quality of air, light, and views we now know to be essential to health, productivity, and joy—we can move beyond the checklist mentality that has captured much of the design community.
Essential reading for architects who want to transform what the profession means, People, Planet, Design pioneers a new vision and sets readers up with clear guidance on implementing it. Only when design prioritizes people, as it should, can architecture realize its full potential.Team
Hosted by Kristof Irwin
Edited by Nico Mignardi
Produced by M. Walker
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Missing episodes?
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What is the future of dehumidification? Turns out this simple question opens up an exciting view of the future of IAQ generally. The goal of a low energy method for removing water molecules from a flowing airstream boils down to some way of identifying, grabbing and holding onto them. Essentially we are talking about a designer desiccant or molecular filter that lets the air pass through while it filters out water molecules.
If we can do this, the next logical question is “Why stop there?” Why not identify a broad range of pollutants and contaminants in the airstream and also select and remove them as well?
Enter molecularly sensitive filtration based on Metal Oxide Framework (MOF) technology. MOFs are a type of advanced material that scientists are developing to tackle a wide range of challenges, from clean energy, to environmental protection via direct air carbon capture (DACC), to health and drug delivery.. While the name may sound complex, the basic idea behind MOFs is relatively simple—they are materials made by combining metal ions (like zinc, iron, or copper) with organic molecules to create a kind of 3D structure that is highly porous, meaning it has lots of tiny holes or cavities - and they operate as a molecular sieve or filter.
Join Kristof as he interviews Todd DeMonte of Madison IAQ to unpack the future of dehumidification and learn about desiccants, and the potential for metal oxide frameworks. Along the way we learn whether the “good old” compressor-based dehumidifier is likely to remain the preferred and appropriate approach for many years to come. This is an episode that will bring you up to date at this important edge of the industry. Enjoy!Important Links!
Article on MOFs:
https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/jacs.7b04132
SMECO Document discussing 3Å wheels:
https://www.semcohvac.com/hubfs/Importance_of_3A_Molecular_Sieve.pdf?hsLang=en
Lithium Chloride Examples:
https://www.alfalaval.us/products/heat-transfer/dehumidification/liquid-desiccant-dehumidification/
https://temaprocess.com/products/dehumidifier/
https://www.ventilex.com/working-principle-drygenic-air-dehumidification/
Todd Demonte
Todd DeMonte is the Chief Innovation Officer of Madison Indoor Air Quality (MIAQ), a Madison Industries business vertical that holds the following companies: Nortek, Broan-NuTone, StatePoint, NGH, Big Ass Fans, UV-Resources, Therma-Stor, DAS, Addison, Specified Air, Air Xchange, Novel Aire, United Cool Air, Conviron, Argus Controls, and Steril-Aire. As Chief Innovation Officer, Todd identifies and leads the development of innovative new product concepts, markets, and solutions across all MIAQ companies, increasing vitality and driving long-term value creation.
Prior, Todd was President and General Manager of Therma-Stor from 2004-2019, where he and his team grew the company’s revenue over 600% ($100M+) and created over $250M in enterprise value through innovation in products and markets.
Before joining Therma-Stor, Todd was a business owner and worked as a manager and technician in the automotive business for more than 10 years. During that time, he won awards from Mercedes-Benz, Land Rover and for being among the top 15 and top 10 (respectively) technicians in the United States.
Todd earned a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Cornell University and an M.B.A. from Tulane University. He has been awarded 28 U.S. patents with several more pending.
Team
Hosted by Kristof Irwin
Edited by Nico Mignardi
Produced by M. Walker
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Passive house has become synonymous with the rapidly arriving new normal for our homes and buildings and offers layers of positive outcomes. Thermal comfort, IAQ/IEQ, durability, and low energy use are typically the incentives for owners, architects, builders and trades. As it turns out, there may be broader societal benefits tied to thoughtfully managing heat flows in and out of a building as well. Good ol’ thermodynamics isn’t getting the flashy attention of solar PV, wind turbines and batteries, but the demand side may well be where we win this fight to protect ourselves and our planet from the worst, most devastating impacts of the climate crisis.
Join Kristof in this wide-ranging conversation with Lisa White, the Co-Executive Director of Phius, where they unpack the positive ripple-out impacts that passive buildings have on our energy grids, and our decarbonization efforts. Seen holistically, buildings are a powerful enabling technology for the ongoing energy transition away from fossil fuels to renewable sources of energy. Starting with a perspective on the current state of the grid and its ongoing evolution, the conversation here positions passive buildings in relation to the decline of the fossil fuel era and the dominance of renewables.
Lisa White
Lisa White is the Co-Director and a technical lead for Phius.
Ms. White has been with Phius since 2012. She led the building certification review team for seven years and is an instructor for Certified Passive House Consultant (CPHC®) training and WUFI® Passive energy modeling software training. She holds a degree in Environmental Sustainability with a minor in Architecture from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and a Master’s in Energy Engineering from the University of Illinois at Chicago.
Ms. White has a strong understanding of high-performance building design and how this is integral to the transition to a renewable energy grid. Her Masters’ thesis posed the question “What do Net Zero Buildings Cost the Grid?”, combining the concepts behind how building loads are shaped, how design techniques can alter that shape, and how that ultimately impacts the electricity generation resources needed to meet the load – all while considering the shift to more intermittent, renewable energy resources. Ultimately, this research concludes that energy conservation and demand response in buildings is a critical up-front investment to facilitate this transition.
At Phius, White works on the development of new and existing professional training courses and has delivered professional training to more than 800 students. She has taught introductory and advanced seminars at professional conferences and universities nationwide, including guest lecturing at the Harvard Extension School. She is a longtime member of Phius’ technical committee and was instrumental in the development of the Phius+ 2015 Climate-Specific Passive Building standard, followed by the 2018 and 2021 updates. Alongside standards development and research, White works directly with the Fraunhofer Institute of Building Physics to develop and implement new key features into the WUFI Passive energy modeling software that Phius uses for passive building certification. While in her previous role as Certification Manager, Ms. White reviewed and provided feedback on energy models, drawings, details, planned mechanical systems, etc. to more than 500 project teams working on passive building designs across the world.
Ms. White has written and co-authored many publications, the most recent being a cover-featured article in the ASHRAE High Performing Buildings magazine. She has presented at numerous national and international conferences on topics related to grid-friendly buildings, assessing resiliency and passive survivability, measured data for high performance and net zero buildings.
Team
Hosted by Kristof Irwin
Edited by Nico Mignardi
Produced by M. Walker
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Empowering the practice of architecture to achieve consistent, predictable, positive impacts on human well-being and planetary health is perhaps one of the most pressing topics in the AEC today. Starting with a review of the history of the search for Bioclimatic Law, this conversation with Dr Bill Braham, FAIA is an invitation to architects to reclaim their power.
Bioclimatic Law is the relationship between architecture and life. In practice “life” is more narrowly defined by architecture as “comfort” or “comfort, health and well-being”. At its core bioclimatic design asks “What are the climate opportunities?”. The basic principle is to start with a clear understanding of the ambient climate and map those inputs to the design of the building - its massing, orientation, enclosure systems, and window sizes, locations, and shading devices. Beyond these truly passive methods, there are always active systems involved in maintaining a balance between heat flowing into the building and heat sources within the building.
Our buildings mediate between the external climate and our lives. From a thermal perspective, actively managing the enclosure can lead to comfortable indoor conditions 60-80% of the time in most climates. From a well being perspective, as the external climate becomes more unpredictable and severe we have an opportunity to improve the quality of the lived experience of the buildings we deliver to ourselves to protect and shelter us. Join Kristof as he and Bill enjoy a thoughtful, wide-ranging discussion about the role of architecture in society and the role of buildings as extensions of our lives and goals.
Big picture, we also want to thank you for being listeners who, in our increasingly soundbite world, appreciate the depth, breadth and subtlety of conversations like this. We’re happy that you’re noticing and valuing that we “go there” in these idea exchanges. Please keep your emails and comments coming.
Bill Braham
William Braham, PhD, FAIA is a Professor of Architecture at the University of Pennsylvania, where he previously served as Department Chair and Chair of the Faculty Senate, and is currently Director of the Master of Environmental Building Design and of the Center for Environmental Building + Design. He has worked on energy and architecture for over 35 years as a designer, consultant, researcher, and author of numerous articles and books. His most recent projects include energy and carbon plans for Nakashima Woodworkers and Chautauqua Institution and building performance modelling for Daikin Open Innovation Lab, Silicon Valley.
His books include:
Architecture and Systems Ecology: Thermodynamic Principles for Environmental Building Design (Routledge, 2016)Team
Hosted by Kristof Irwin
Edited by Nico Mignardi
Produced by M. Walker
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The work of the AEC is broader than buildings. On a daily basis we, collectively and individually, make decisions that have broad and lasting impacts on our lives, our health, and our world. These impacts can be either positive or negative; the choice is ours. This is the perspective of Gina Ciganik and her brilliant and motivated team at Habitable.
Armed with powerful minds and compelling data, they are working to help society rethink material supply chains altogether. Formerly the Healthy Building Network, Habitable exists to help people understand that we need to fundamentally shift the materials economy to protect ourselves and our planet's ecosystems. These are also the people who created the Pharos database. Now they are releasing a powerful tool, The Informed Tool, to make it easy to make good decisions for materials using a simple Green, Yellow, Red system. It’s time to start.
If the term materials economy is somehow just a bit bland and doesn’t connect or feel engaging for you, consider these two facts to remind you of what we’re talking about:
1. Microplastics in the ocean: 58% of them are from one material - Paint. And 48% is from paint used in homes and buildings. We know latex gloves are plastic but somehow we forget that latex paint is as well. If we are going to ever get the plastics out of our waterways, oceans and bodies, we have to address this material and the upstream decision making process.
2. Carpeting as single use material: 2 Millions Tons of carpeting are thrown into landfills and incinerators in the US every year. Our national obsession with fuzzy floors uses more plastic than all single use plastic bottles, plastic bags, and plastic straws combined (mic drop).
OK, did those wake you up and help you understand that the decisions we make here in the AEC have implications and impacts far beyond what we normally consider our purview? Join Kristof and Gina in this lively wide ranging discussion as they unpack the work that Habitable is doing.
Gina Ciganik
Gina Ciganik is the CEO of Habitable and has been instrumental in growing and scaling the organization's vision since assuming the role in 2016.
Recognized nationally for her leadership in transforming human and environmental health, Gina’s strategic partnerships and innovative practices have reshaped housing standards across the affordable housing sector. With a proven track record of creating healthier spaces–including the groundbreaking 90-unit apartment building, The Rose–Gina’s leadership drives Habitable’s mission forward. She sees herself as a “dot-connector” and translator who amplifies the organization’s impact, fostering holistic solutions for planetary health. Determined, curious, and joyful, Gina is committed to creating healthier environments for communities worldwide.
Team
Hosted by Kristof Irwin
Edited by Nico Mignardi
Produced by M. Walker
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How can we build better supply chains for the built world? When it comes to the inconceivably vast amount of wood we use in our buildings, one “simple” way is to use less virgin material and use more wood that would otherwise not make it to market. Instead it would be destined to decompose and emit its carbon into the sky. What if, instead, the forgotten trees were salvaged and turned into valuable, usable lumber?
This is a big idea whose time has come. Still, having a powerful idea is only the first step. Making it happen in the real world is the other side of the story. Starting with a focus on a smarter, more transparent wood supply chain, the ambitious team at Cambium Carbon are making powerful change happen in the human side of the wood ecosystem in the AEC. Their work is a key support for firms committed to sustainability.
Join Kristof in a thoughtful conversation with Ben Christensen to learn more about what Ben and his team are doing to find wood impacted by the four Ds: disease, decay, disaster, and development and keep it out of landfills. Instead of landfills the wood goes back into the built world for generations to come.The company Living Carbon was mentioned during this episode as an interesting website to check out!
Ben Christensen
Ben, a Forbes 30 Under 30 lister and TedX speaker, is a thought-leader and industry expert. He is the CEO and Co-founder of Cambium, a climate-tech start-up backed by Joe Tsai, Steve Case, and many others. By working with cities to divert wood waste, local manufacturers to create sustainable products, and demand partners for offtake they are creating a new regenerative supply chain for urban wood. Ben loves to share his expertise on topics like circular economies, climate tech, leadership, and building teams. He earned his Masters of Environmental Management from the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies.
Team
Hosted by Kristof Irwin
Edited by Nico Mignardi
Produced by M. Walker
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Today we’re continuing the conversation on modular construction w/ Rommel Sulit and Chris Krager. Buckle up for some quotable quotes and impactful ideas in this episode. A recurring theme from part 1 is present here. Could it be the case that because modular delivery must rethink basic assumptions, it may be the first area of the AEC to do what the rest of the AEC is not. At core, the role of architecture is to create the link between design intent and what is actually built. This is not easy, nor simple. It means managing multiple streams of expertise and action so that they are effectively coordinated and integrated into a finished livable space.
Modular requires a high resolution understanding of why we build the way we do, what are its strengths and weaknesses, and, particularly, where are the key leverage points to unlock change. Because as they say in this episode, there’s no way around the reality that when it comes to AEC practices, We have to Pivot at somewhere. Modular delivery is perhaps, at heart, a recognition of this truth.
Rommel Sulit
Founding Principal and Chief Operations Officer at Forge Craft Architecture + Design. With 25 years of experience, Rommel founded Forge Craft with Scott Grinder to improve lives through the art and science of architecture and design. Rommel developed his architectural philosophy working on projects that span demographics, geographies and types at the Office of Metropolitan Architecture (OMA) with Rem Koolhaas, Page Southerland Page, Rhode Partners and BOKA Powell.
Before Forge Craft, Rommel’s work in Europe and across the U.S. centered on ambitious, large scale urban developments. Rommel now oversees projects across Forge Craft’s six Architecture + Design Craft Studios including Commercial, Affordable Housing, Interior Architecture, Residential Use, Modular Architecture and Emergent Technologies.
Chris Krager
Chris Krager has a BA in Business Administration from Michigan State University, and he received his March First Professional from the University of Texas at Austin School of Architecture. Krager formed KRDB (Krager & Associates, Design/Build), a develop/design/build company, in 2001 with the intention of creating financially accessible architecture, while focusing on sustainability in the urban environment (www.krdb.com). The firm’s projects cover a broad range from single-family developments, small lot projects, mixed-use and multi-family developments, hotels, creative office, alternative senior living models, and more.
KRDB’s work has been recognized locally and nationally including winning the AIA Austin’s prestigious “Firm Achievement Award” in its first year (2001). Their work has appeared in the New York Times, Dwell, Architectural Record, Residential Architect, and Metropolitan Home amongst others. It has been published in numerous books including “Modern Shoestring: Contemporary Architecture on a Budget” by Susanna Sirefman, “Good House/Cheap House” by Kira Oblensky, “The Perfect $100,000 House” by Karrie Jacobs, and two of Sheri Koones’ “Pre-Fabulous” books. There work has also been featured on shows such as “This New House”, “Small Space, Big Style”, “Dream Builders”, “Dwell TV” and “What You Get For Your Money”.
KRDB’s Sol Austin project, a 40 unit model for holistic sustainable design, was one of the first net-zero capable projects in the US, and was awarded an AIA Austin Merit award, the inaugural Austin Green, “Project of the Year” and was featured on the front page of the NY Times Homes section (www.solaustin.com).
KRDB introduced ma modular in 2008, their line of affordable modern modular homes and are currently working on projects in Austin, Los Angeles, Dallas and New York
(www.mamodular.com). What began as a single-family endeavor, has now grown to
include projects ranging in scale from a 4 unit small lot development, to a 135 unit, 150k sf project on 6 acres.Team
Hosted by Kristof Irwin
Edited by Nico Mignardi
Produced by M. Walker
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How often do you think about modular construction? Is it an idea whose time has come? There are those who view it as the only path forward that realistically checks all the boxes - are they right?
The potential is clear, modular project delivery can save time, save money, and positively impact our current and looming labor and skills crunch on the construction side of the AEC. There is no doubt that relative to the current norm, the “holy triumvirate” of owner, architect builder*, modular delivery represents a disruptive force within the AEC. Modular may be exactly the solutions we need but also one that we are not currently embracing at scale. Why is that? What are the challenges and the opportunities for modular design, construction and delivery? Join us today to unpack those questions and more.
Whether you’re a seasoned modular developer or just a curious newcomer and novice this podcast has something for you. Kristof is joined by Chris Krager and Rommel Sulit who, collectively have soaked up decades of experience and expertise in the modular space. One of the challenges to understanding modular design and construction is that it is dynamic and evolving. This confluence of financial, technical and material perspectives means different things at different times to different stakeholders. Along with our society and the AEC industry, modular has a path quality, it is not static, by some accounts where we are now is Gen 4 modular. To fulfill its potential modelar delivery needs to reach backward to influence the design process and also to reach forward to construction. This reality, while challenging, is long overdue and it is perhaps the most relevant and powerful benefit. It forces, or at least strongly encourages, the AEC to finally do integrated project design and delivery at scale.
*Quote by Rommel in the podcast
Rommel SulitFounding Principal and Chief Operations Officer at Forge Craft Architecture + Design. With 25 years of experience, Rommel founded Forge Craft with Scott Grinder to improve lives through the art and science of architecture and design. Rommel developed his architectural philosophy working on projects that span demographics, geographies and types at the Office of Metropolitan Architecture (OMA) with Rem Koolhaas, Page Southerland Page, Rhode Partners and BOKA Powell.
Before Forge Craft, Rommel’s work in Europe and across the U.S. centered on ambitious, large scale urban developments. Rommel now oversees projects across Forge Craft’s six Architecture + Design Craft Studios including Commercial, Affordable Housing, Interior Architecture, Residential Use, Modular Architecture and Emergent Technologies.
Chris Krager
Chris Krager has a BA in Business Administration from Michigan State University, and he
received his MArch First Professional from the University of Texas at Austin School of
Architecture. Krager formed KRDB (Krager & Associates, Design/Build), a develop/design/build
company, in 2001 with the intention of creating financially accessible architecture, while
focusing on sustainability in the urban environment (www.krdb.com). The firm’s projects
cover a broad range from single-family developments, small lot projects, mixed-use and
multi-family developments, hotels, creative office, alternative senior living models, and
more.KRDB’s work has been recognized locally and nationally including winning the AIA
Austin’s prestigious “Firm Achievement Award” in its first year (2001). Their work has
appeared in the New York Times, Dwell, Architectural Record, Residential Architect,
and Metropolitan Home amongst others. It has been published in numerous books
including “Modern Shoestring: Contemporary Architecture on a Budget” by Susanna Sirefman, “Good House/Cheap House” by Kira Oblensky, “The Perfect $100,000 House” by Karrie Jacobs, and two of Sheri Koones’ “Pre-Fabulous” books. Their work has also been featured on shows such as “This New House”, “Small Space, Big Style”, “Dream Builders”, “Dwell TV” and “What You Get For Your Money”.KRDB’s Sol Austin project, a 40 unit model for holistic sustainable design, was one of
the first net-zero capable projects in the US, and was awarded an AIA Austin Merit
award, the inaugural Austin Green, “Project of the Year” and was featured on the front
page of the NY Times Homes section (www.solaustin.com).KRDB introduced ma modular in 2008, their line of affordable modern modular homes and are currently working on projects in Austin, Los Angeles, Dallas and New York
(www.mamodular.com). What began as a single-family endeavor, has now grown to
include projects ranging in scale from a 4 unit small lot development, to a 135 unit, 150k sf project on 6 acres.Team
Hosted by Kristof Irwin
Edited by Nico Mignardi
Produced by M. Walker
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Who knew that an indoor pickleball facility could become a touchstone for high performance construction based on passive house principles? The backstory here is worth unpacking as it relates to a powerful force that is not often discussed - money. Return on investment is the aim of the game in the realm of real estate investment and this fact typically filters out high performance passive buildings - but not this time, and it is important to understand why. Our guest today is adept in both the financial and the construction realms and has been able to make a solid case for the value of passive construction in his latest development.
Beyond the financial angle, this project aim to showcase high quality construction while also fostering community through sport. Plus with the heat and humidity of the Texas summers playing sports indoors makes it far more accessible to people. Join us in this thought-filled interview with David Komet of Urban Earth to hear about his journey and learn what he’s doing with his new pickleball facility as he prioritizes the health of the community, the local environment, and the planet.David Komet
David's professional career began with the Medical Center Guesthouse of America, developing interim stay facilities for patients and their families in major medical centers. From there he went on to be General Manager of Murdock Pharmaceuticals, a division of Nature's Way. His business experiences soon led him to the public capital markets and positions with Prudential Securities and Komet Asset Management managing private pools focused on long/short equity, direct lending and equity real estate investments. His current active projects reflect his deep interest in the sustainability conversation for the built environment, including age in place housing , commercial buildings and controlled environment agriculture.
Team
Hosted by Kristof Irwin
Edited by Nico Mignardi
Produced by M. Walker
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At a fundamental level, passive house practitioners are engaged in a rebellion against poor quality design and construction. It’s becoming quite clear that this rebellion has legs and will endure. Given this, a question worth unpacking is whether the durability of the passive house movement is emerging as an architectural style. What are the defining principles behind architectural aesthetic decisions in the context of high performance homes and buildings? What will the history books say about our little rebellion in the years to come? Join us in this rich and thoughtful discussion with two powerful voices at the top of their game in the passive house realm.
Tessa Bradley
Tessa is an optimist. She’s also tenacious and dedicated to creating designs that are stunning and sustainable at once. She uses her powers for good: in Tessa’s vision of the future, architecture is a cohesive part of creating the good life for more people — she believes that excellent design can help make a joyful life.
With a tireless enthusiasm for problem-solving and a drive to tackle the toughest challenges head-on, she approaches every project with a blend of spunk, poise, and nerdy, sciencey know-how.
Tessa’s signature style merges elegant modernism and cutting-edge building science. She’s designed some of the most energy-efficient homes in the United States and has been featured in Dwell, The New York Times, The Seattle Times, Sunset Magazine, Design Boom, Houzz, and in books about sustainable design, prefab architecture, and Passive House homes.Graham Irwin
Graham is the principal of Essential Habitat Architecture, a Northern California design firm focused on healthy, high performance, sustainable buildings built to Passive Building standards. He has a degree in physics, with additional studies in engineering and architecture, and an extensive background in software development. Since 2008, his firm has worked on numerous single-family, multi-family and commercial Passive House projects throughout California and the US, including the first certified Passive House in California, the first certified Passive House retrofit in the US, and the first certified multi-family Passive House in the US. He is a licensed architect and licensed general contractor in the state of California.
Team
Hosted by Kristof Irwin
Edited by Nico Mignardi
Produced by M. Walker
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Big news! The Humid Climate Conference is coming back to ATX and it’s time for some appropriate FOMO. We’re just two weeks out. You will be so glad you made the decision to come to HCC in ATX. Both the technical knowledge and perspectives you’ll hear, as well as the realization and experience of the power, vitality and unstoppability of the growing community of folks in the AEC that are stepping up to move our industry and our society forward.
The theme for HCC’24 is Transitions. The work we do in the world as architects, developers, builders, trades, and even owners is important and it is also going through a series of transitions that together represent an altogether new way of delivering buildings to clients and communities. The Energy Transition, the refrigerant transition, the transition to lower carbon designs, both embodied and operational, are all “in play” right now. Now is the time to learn about them from visionary thought leaders and boots on the ground who are both showcasing these transitions and helping make them happen.
Here’s the HCC website and here’s the link to buy tickets.Code to get $50 off is shared on the podcast!
Team
Hosted by Kristof Irwin
Edited by Nico Mignardi
Produced by M. Walker
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Today’s episode opens up the system of systems that delivers the materials, equipment and tools we use to deliver high quality homes and buildings to ourselves. The focus is on an novel ultrasonic leak detection system. This is potentially game-changing technology that impacts the ability to confidently deliver Passive House quality air control layers. Along the way you’ll learn about the importance of the air barrier and get a glimpse of the vastness of the AEC. This is an expansive episode that covers the human side of what it will take to get us from high quality designs to high performance finished projects - and ultimately to high quality lived experiences for occupants and owners.
If you appreciate the ideas you hear on our podcast, Humid Climate Conference is the conference and the community you’re looking for.
Bernard Hornung
Head of Built Environment, Coltraco Ultrasonics Limited a technology firm in the UK.
Coltraco is manufacturer of a novel and powerful ultrasonic leak detection system.
An example of the types of innovative and trailblazing materials equip and tools that Source2050 is brining to the market. Major Bernard Hornung was educated at Ampleforth College and at The RoyalMilitary Academy Sandhurst. He served 15 years in the Irish Guards, firstly as a Platoon Commander in the Battalion and secondly at the Infantry Junior Leaders Battalion. Bernard is fluent in Spanish and in Portuguese Bernard joined Coltraco Ultrasonics In May of 2020 (a good time to switch career focus to air quality and air barriers) as Head of the Built Environment at Coltraco.John Knapp
Co-founder of Source2050.
Source2050 is the first mission-driven, curated marketplace of energy efficient and high
performance building products that lets builders find and purchase the best solutions for their projects. As you’ll hear he’s a force of nature who has done a lot, and played a varied of roles during his time on the planet.Team
Hosted by Kristof Irwin
Edited by Nico Mignardi
Produced by M. Walker
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What if it’s true that “We can not solve our problems using the same level of thinking that created them”? - Attributed to Albert Einstein
Could it be that our building science understanding is limited? Could it be that even the clarity of understanding we gain by viewing homes and buildings as a systems of systems, assemblies, materials and products interacting according to the laws of science and nature - is necessary but not sufficient to cause us to build that way?
Building science is a necessary understanding but it is proving insufficient to cause the change we want at the pace we need. What do we need to add to the building-as-a-system perspective? What will it take to get past Knowing How to get us to Actually Doing what it takes to design and build for the outcomes we need? Using that concept as a lens, this episode seeks to expand the building-as-a-systems view into the society-as-a-system view in order to find ways to allow the power of building science to have proper impact in society. Anyone working in the AEC knows that the barriers to change are solid and weighty. This is what motivates our search for Leverage.
Leverage is a force multiplier. Leverage creates a large powerful force using a smaller force. We need leverage to multiply the force we can exert to cause change to happen in the AEC. Following the insights from Donella Meadows(2), we focus on the concept of Leverage Points - those “places within a complex system where a small change in one area can have pervasive positive impacts”. What we will discover is that according to Donella our mental models of the world, our industry, and our role in it - our deeply held, often unexamined, paradigms, are points of power that bring leverage.
Please join us for this rich and thoughtful exploration to find sufficiency. What will it actually take to bring the future we want into the present we have. Bring your caring hearts and curious minds and let’s have some fun!Reference: Donella Meadows, Thinking in Systems: A Primer
BSPS, SIGN UP PAGE TO GET ON OUR MAILING LIST, WE NEVER SHARE IT.
https://positiveenergy.pro/the-building-science-philosophical-society
DONELLA MEADOWS BOOK
CHAPTER 6
https://donellameadows.org/wp-content/userfiles/Leverage_Points.pdf
Wiki on Donella Meadows
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donella_Meadows
Donella Meadows Project - Academy for Change
https://donellameadows.org/
Check out the Systems Thinking Resources page!
https://donellameadows.org/systems-thinking-resources/
Book: Thinking in Systems
https://donellameadows.org/systems-thinking-book-sale/Team
Hosted by Kristof Irwin
Edited by Nico Mignardi
Produced by M. Walker
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Josh Salinger
Joshua Salinger is CEO and Founder of Birdsmouth Design Build, a residential Design Build company located in Portland OR. In 1999 Josh graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a double major in Zoology and Conservation. In 2007 he started Birdsmouth Design Build with the goal of designing and building beautiful, high performing homes that transform and improve the built environment.
Josh has received certifications from Earth Advantage’s Sustainable Homes Professional course, and is an early graduate of the Passive House Builders Training program administered by PHIUS and is an accredited EEBA Zero Energy Home Professional. He has been on the board of Passive House Northwest since 2016 and also sits on the Technical committee of Zero Energy Ready Oregon. He is currently developing the curriculum in concert with Earth Advantage for the Sustainable Homes Professional Remote Learning & Accreditation Program. He lives in the Mt. Tabor neighborhood of Portland with his wife and two children and enjoys playing guitar, yoga, cooking, bemoaning the inefficiency of his house, and making the world’s best cup of coffee.
Team
Hosted by Kristof Irwin
Edited by Nico Mignardi
Produced by M. Walker
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Luke Leung
Luke is a LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Fellow; He is also a Centennial Fellow from The Pennsylvania State University Architectural Engineering Department; Board of Directors for USGBC (United State Green Building Council), Illinois; Chairman of the ASHRAE (American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning) Committee on “Tall Buildings”; Chairman of the Building Pressure Committee, Chicago Committee on High Rise Buildings; Sustainable Committee with Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat; Part Time Professor at IIT; Member of the Chicago Sister Cities Program with China; MBA from University of Chicago, MS and BAE from Architectural Engineering at Penn State University.
Luke Leung is the Director of the Sustainability Engineering Studio for Skidmore, Owings and Merrill LLP. He is the incoming Chair of ASHRAE Environmental Health Committee; Team leader for ASHRAE Epidemic Task Force, Commercial Buildings; Group Leader for LCA and Embodied Carbon, ASHRAE Decarbonization Task Force; National Renewable Energy Laboratory IN2 Incubator Industry Advisor; BOMA Toronto, Health Committee Co-Chair. His work includes Burj Khalifa, the world’s current tallest man-made structure; Multiple times “Excellence in Engineering” award from the American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE); Selected projects also include Pertamina Tower (Net Zero Supertall), General Motors Global Headquarters, XiongAn Net Zero Development, Beijing Finance Street, Embassy of Ottawa in Canada, Embassy in Beijing, Lakeside – 55 million sqft low energy development, a LEED Platinum building with the first large scale horizontal wind turbine in the city of Chicago; etc., and has served as a member of the editorial team for the CTBUH guide Natural Ventilation in High-Rise Office Buildings, ASHRAE “Design Guide for Tall, Supertall, Megatall Building Systems”, among other publications.
Team
Hosted by Kristof Irwin
Produced by M. Walker
Edited by Nico Mignardi
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Chris Magwood
Chris works with the Embodied Carbon Team in the Carbon Free Buildings Program. He brings focus on carbon-storing material and the residential sector to the team, using his experience with LCA studies and policy development to support the team’s work.
Chris has been designing and building zero-carbon buildings throughout his 25-year career. From 2005 to 2018, he was a lead instructor in a hands-on design/build program at Endeavour Centre and was responsible for many zero-carbon, zero-toxin, and zero-waste buildings.
In 2019, he helped found Builders for Climate Action and codeveloped the BEAM tool for measuring material emissions in residential buildings. He authored four major studies of embodied carbon in new construction for Canadian governments and helped Canadian cities develop an embodied carbon policy.Chris published eight books on green construction, most recently coauthoring Build Beyond Zero: New Ideas for Carbon Smart Architecture (Island Press, 2022) with Bruce King.
Jacob Racusin
Jacob Deva Racusin is co-owner of New Frameworks Natural Building, LLC, offering services in green remodeling, new construction, consultation, and education featuring natural building technologies. Through their work as a builder, consultant, and educator, Jacob is able to merge their passions for fine craft, ecological stewardship, relationship to place, and social justice.
Their goal in this work is to create a meaningful impact on the built environment in developing healthy, resilient communities. Deva is an instructor at the Yestermorrow Design/Build School, where they are the former director of the Natural Building Intensive Program. A BPI-certified contractor and Certified Passive House Consultant, Jacob has conducted field research on moisture and thermal performance of straw bale wall systems, which is featured in the book The Natural Building Companion which they co-authored with Ace McArleton (Chelsea Green Publishing, 2012). They have lectured and presented at universities, conferences, and other events across the Northeast. Jacob lives with their family in Montgomery, VT, in a straw bale house on their permaculture-inspired homestead.
Team
Hosted by Kristof Irwin
Edited by Nico Mignardi
Produced by M. Walker
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How do we design and build affordable net-zero, carbon-negative homes? That important goal is the subject of today’s episode and is the focus of a multidisciplinary team that includes PNNL, Virginia Tech, and Green Canopy NODE. On the podcast today you’ll hear from Patti Gunderson with PNNL who is working with a talented team who are taking a thoughtful approach to this ambitious goal. One that focuses on modular design, carbon sequestering materials, thermal/energy efficiency, and a forward-looking circular approach that relies on cleverly designed, factory-built, bio-based materials right from the start. The outcome is a home that supports an owner’s right to repair (we need this with so many so-called durable products in our world today) and also allows the materials in the home to be disassembled and reused and the end of the home's lifecycle.
Patricia Gunderson
Patti Gunderson joined PNNL in 2021 and supports several projects in both the Energy Policy and Economics and Buildings and Connected Systems Divisions. A particular strength is collaborating with manufacturers, designers, builders, and trades people to understand and overcome barriers to adoption of optimized building technologies.
Patti most recently spent nearly six years at Home Innovation Research Labs where she proposed, designed, and led research projects to study constructability, functionality, energy efficiency and durability of buildings. Her background in building physics, engineering software tools, systems design, discipline coordination, project documentation, and construction administration provides valuable insight for research, analysis and client support.
Prior to HI, Patti worked in the DC office of SmithGroup, an international AE firm, on numerous high-profile projects including embassies, medical centers, university law schools and the flagship Net Zero Brock Environmental Center for the Chesapeake Bay Foundation. Patti is a big fan of collaboration and has benefitted from research partners and clients representing several national labs, the National Association of Home Builders, the Leading Builders of America, and numerous international manufacturers, as well as staff from DOE, FPL, HUD, and VA.
Team
Hosted by Kristof Irwin
Edited by Nico Mignardi
Produced by M. Walker
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You don’t have to be a building nerd or an engineer for a question like this to be relevant and important to consider. There are many reasons why AWHP systems make an attractive alternative to our batch of current “normal” heat pumps that rely on refrigerant for thermal distribution. Some of the reasons AWHP are appealing include: (1) reduced refrigerant volumes, thus reduced refrigerant leakage into the atmosphere; (2) larger selection of indoor unit options relative to refrigerant based systems; (3) the ability to support comfort via thermally active surfaces (aka radiant heating/cooling); (4) your home is better future-proofed and more technology-agnostic, and (5) these systems affordably unlock thermal storage (for thermal loads), which can provide energy resilience for their owners as well as dispatchable grid-level energy storage This episode is why you listen to the Building Science Podcast, somehow this multifaceted emerging story has still not hit the mainstream.
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We spend the vast majority of our time inside yet we actually know very little about what it means to live indoors. This is the case even though what happens indoors impacts us in nearly every way. Our comfort, health and overall well-being all are deeply impacted by what's in the air we breathe and what’s happening in and on the surfaces all around us.
Enter Corbett and Grace Lunsford. Knowing that what we don’t know about our homes matters a lot, they took on the challenge of creating a TV show on home performance for mainstream audiences. Their show, now in it’s third season makes it clear that a “good home” is far more than what it looks like and how much it will sell for in the market. In the process, Corbett and Grace have become leading voices in the role of educating us about the many and hidden dimensions of home performance. Join us in this episode as they unpack the why, the what, and they created the Home Diagnosis TV show on PBS.Corbett Lunsford
Corbett began working in the realm of home performance expertise in 2008 with Grace. He quickly discovered the challenges within the construction industry—its inherent messiness, time constraints on professionals, and inadequate compensation, all of which adversely affect homeowners throughout their lives. Their shared objective is clear: to present building performance in an accessible manner for both professionals and consumers, contributing to the improvement of structures globally.
In 2009, Corbett initiated the Building Performance Workshop. He has also been prolific in sharing knowledge through more than 500 YouTube videos, 80 interviews for the Building Performance Podcast, and the authorship of the book "Home Performance Diagnostics: the Guide to Advanced Testing." Additionally, he developed the APT Reports software tool.
Not bound by conventional expectations, Corbett and Grace designed and constructed the world's highest performance tiny house on wheels, the #TinyLab, in 2016. They toured the U.S. and settled in Atlanta, Georgia, creating the groundbreaking TV series "Home Diagnosis," the first of its kind on public television across the U.S.
Grace Lunsford
Grace Lunsford is the powerhouse behind The Building Performance Workshop’s videos and the Home Diagnosis TV series. She started the 'Home Performance' YouTube channel, and has produced over 500 videos to date, gaining 4 million views and 23k subscribers. Grace is the creator, co-host, and Executive Producer of 'Home Diagnosis', the first-ever TV series about measured home performance, which has aired on over 60% of the PBS stations across the U.S. Her short films and feature film, The Other One, have won awards at film festivals, and as a Hewlett-Packard sponsored artist, she presented workshops on her work methods at both Sundance and Cannes.
She founded the media firm Sterling Rock Productions because the media she wanted to see was not being made. She has served on the Boards of Directors of the Screen Actors Guild Midwest and the Illinois Production Alliance (which lobbies for tax incentives in the film industry), where she spearheaded an initiative to bring the production of major motion pictures and television shows to Chicago. She also founded the 501c3 Chicago Acting in Film Meetup, a professional support group of over 150 screen actors.
Grace's career in film and television and voiceover continues in Atlanta, GA, where she's represented by Stewart Talent.
Team
Hosted by Kristof Irwin
Edited by Nico Mignardi
Produced by M. Walker
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